Official Luthiers Forum!

I think I'm going to purchase the Fuji Mini-Mite 3. There are a couple of positive posts in the archives but not too much.

Any general comments anyone would like to offer?

I'm planning on spraying waterborne, probably the target EM6000. From what I've read on the target site, the standard 1.4mm nozzle should work fine. Has anyone had experience that the 1.0mm is better?

Does anyone have an opinion on the XT2 gun versus the GTX2?

The standard kit is the 1.4mm nozzle and the XT2 gun, but I might be able to talk the dealer into swapping if there is a reason.

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

MM3 good choice! MM4 better choice and Q4 best choice. Both guns are pretty much the same except the GTX2 is pre setup as gravity feed. The TX2 comes with the MM3 and MM4 and a $35 -$45 kit is available to convert the TX2 to gravity feed. 1.4mm tip set is perfect. you do want gravity feed by the way

If you have never sprayed with a LPHV turbine unit before you will want to practice plenty prior to spraying a guitar. Setting the gun is a totally different process than a convictional gun. I suggest you be willing to waist a quart of finish on practice and learning to set up the gun before spraying an instrument. you will earn that quart back over the next 5 or 6 guitars.

Thanks for your comments Michael. I've never sprayed anything so at least I won't have to "unlearn" anything.

Can you explain why I need gravity feed? (Some online dealers will let you pick the gun you want so I may try to talk my local dealer into the gravity feed gun if that's the best way to go.)

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

On a gravity feed the medial (finish) is coming to the mixing chamber from a reservoir above the gun. It flows into the mixing chamber according to its specific gravity (thickness) and requires no siphon pressure to draw it up a line and into the mixing chamber. This all means that the rate of flow is consistent from start to finish. It also makes the gun more maneuverable not having a quart sized pot hanging below the gun, not to mention less parts to clean up.

Also any air bubbles that happen rise to the top of the media and the flow is from the bottom of the media so less chance of spitting

I bought the Q4 and have sprayed three mandolins. The first one was fine, but the next two were not as good.I didn't seem to be getting coats as thick as I thought they should be, but am very wary on getting runs.
Michael. have you any specific setup proceedures which may help. I have been using colortone water based products.I can only spray outside when the weather is warm enough(North west England!!!)

Charles.

Well not being there see how the coats were going on it is hard for me to guess what your setting changes should be. I spray quite a bit of KTM9 which is pretty much the same viscosity of USL AKA Colortone waterborne lacquer. Most first timers to HVLP turbine units tend to spray with the air line open ¾ to full open and open the media flow about half way and spray from about 12-14” away. This leads to a poorly atomized pattern and thereby orange peel out the yen-yang.

When I first got my unit I wasted about a quart of finish on practice boards. I played with all the setting till I found the coverage I was looking for. Here is what I found works best for me. Keep in mind I am at 2300 ft elevation in an high desert where the average early to mid summer temp is 98f with 30-35% RH. My spray booth is not RH controlled because I would be constantly pumping moisture in. I found that cutting the air supply to half or a little less. Thinning the KTM9 with about 3-4% distilled water to a viscosity per the viscosity cup provided with my Q4 of 22 seconds +/- 1 second and adjusting the media flow till I got a good wet but not sagging pattern. sprayed at 8”-9” form nozzle to surface. I found that if I got too far from the surface I could never find a setting that eliminated most of the orange peel. I found it easy to set the media flow the hard part was finding the right air setting.

Now will this work for you? Temp and RH will affect the setting s but this should be a good place to start at.

So Todd, the adjustable turbine allows you slow the turbine speed thereby adjusting the air vloume? does the warm the air less? I would think it would.

+1 for Turbinaire.....love mine!

Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"

...this is a factor for a hobbyiest like myself. The Turbinaire is about 50% more than the MM3.

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."